Once
upon a time there was a young man who liked to wander the forest, but he never
took any kind of weapon with him.

"If nothing
else, then take a needle," his father used to tell him. "You're sure
to regret it one of these days, you'll see."

And his father
was right. One day when he was in the forest the boy was attacked by robbers,
and because he had no weapon he was unable to defend himself and taken prisoner.

"Why didn't
I listen to my father.," wailed the boy. "If I had had a needle, I'm
sure you wouldn't have captured me."

The robbers laughed
heartily at these words, and one of them gave the boy a needle, saying, "Here
you are, now show us what you can do."

Taking the needle
the boy looked at it, and said, "Why this needle is broken!"

"Let me see,"
said the robber, leaning over, and as he did so the boy jabbed him with the
needle. The robber gave a loud cry of pain and dropped his gun. The boy quickly
grabbed hold of it and shot him. When the others saw the robber fall in a heap,
they took to their heels and fled.

On his return
home that night the boy said to his father,"You advised me well. Today,
a needle saved my life."